Mr.s Fairfax pointed to the young woman.
'That is Miss Ingram,' the housekeeper said. Then she went
downstairs.
Adele wanted to go downstairs too,
'No, Adele,' I said. 'We cannot go downstairs tonight. Mr.
Rochester is talking to his guests.'
The next day, Mr.s Fairfax came into the schoolroom.
'Mr. Rochester wants
you to meet his guests tonight, Miss
Eyre,' she said. 'Adele must meet them too.'
Later, Adele and I went quietly into the sitting-room. And
soon, eight ladies came into the room. One of them was tall, dark
and very beautiful. She was Blanche Ingram. Adele ran towards
her.
'Good evening, beautiful lady,' she said in French.
'What a pretty little girl!' Blanche Ingram said. Miss Ingram
spoke to the other ladies. And she spoke to Adele. But she did not
speak to me.
Half
an hour later, the gentlemen came into the room. I looked
at Mr. Rochester. He saw me, but he did not speak to me.
Miss Ingram pointed at Adele. 'Why doesn't this little girl live
at a school, Mr. Rochester?' she asked.
'Adele learns her lessons at home,' Mr. Rochester replied. 'She
has a governess.'
'Oh, yes.
That small woman by the window,' Miss Ingram said.
'I had many governesses. I hated all of them. They were all ugly
and stupid!'
Later, Miss Ingram and Mr. Rochester sang some
songs together, Mr. Rochester had a fine voice. I listened to the
songs, then I left the room. Mr. Rochester followed me.
'What
is wrong, Jane?' he asked.
'Nothing is wrong, sir,' I said. 'But I am tired. I am going to my
room. Goodnight, sir.'
'You are tired. And you are unhappy too,' Mr. Rochester
replied. 'There are tears in your eyes.
Rest now, Jane. But please
come and meet my guests tomorrow evening. Don't forget, my —,
don't forget, Jane.'
The guests stayed at Thornfield Hall for two weeks. Every
evening, I went to the sitting-room with Adele. Nobody spoke to
me. Mr. Rochester and Miss Ingram were always together.
One afternoon, Mr. Rochester went to Millcote.
He returned
late in the evening. I met him at the front door.
'Another guest has arrived, sir,' I told him. 'His name is Mr.
Mason. He has come from the West Indies.'
Suddenly, Mr. Rochester's face was pale. He held my hand
tightly.
'Mason. The West Indies. Mason —' he said.
'Are you ill, sir?' I asked.
'Jane, my little friend, I've had a shock,' he said. 'Bring me a
glass of wine, please.'
I went quickly to the dining-room. I returned with a glass of
wine and I gave it to Mr. Rochester.
'What are my guests doing?' he asked.
'They are eating and laughing, sir,' I replied. 'Mr.
Mason is
talking to the other guests.'
'One day, they will all hate me,' Mr. Rochester said. 'Now go
into the dining-room again. Tell Mason to meet me in the library.'
I gave Mr. Mason the message. Then I went to my bedroom. I
got into my bed.
Later, I heard Mr. Rochester coming up the stairs with Mr.
Mason. They were laughing and talking. Soon, I was asleep.